Once a month, no matter the climate, the volunteers suit up and take to the water to train using mock rescue and recovery scenarios.

Whether it be restless Long Island Sound or the unpredictable Mianus River, the divers head into each training session with the seriousness they would a real-life emergency, because they understand that when that moment strikes, there is no room for a mistake.

"When you get to an emergency, you've got to do things by reflex, you can't stop and think," said veteran diver Fred Brooks, 48, who has been volunteering with the department since 1983. "It's a matter of having the appropriate training and doing it over and over again."

Two new members of the team trained with Brooks Wednesday night as remaining members and District Chief T. John Cunningham supervised and performed various operational procedures on shore.

"This is one of the more dangerous things we actually do," said Cunningham. "There are so many variables, entanglement, visibility, the unknown. I believe strongly we need to have our divers in the water at least once a month."

The Water Rescue Team is equipped with unique skill sets, aimed to be first responders and back up the police marine unit in water emergencies. They are the only team in town trained in swift water rescue, which Cunningham said is necessary in floods that can occur with storms like a 2007 nor'easter that hit town.

The Sound Beach Volunteer Fire Department is funded completely through donations and operates on an all-volunteer basis. Cunningham said the department hopes to raise $30,000 to purchase a truck to carry the team's equipment.

Joe Gianfrancesco, 23, of Riverside, emerged from the water Wednesday night under cloudy skies with the remnants of a clay pigeon that was thrown overboard to the bottom of the water, about 12 feet down. The goal for the new divers was to locate and bring back that object by relying on touch, since visibility in the Sound is often zero.

"You can only see maybe three or four inches in front of your face," said Gianfrancesco, noting how difficult it is to learn water rescue tactics. "It's a whole new learning curve."

The divers have been submerged nearly 80 feet during some of their previous trainings, Cunningham said.

Members on shore held onto the divers by a long, yellow rope, which is not only a safety precaution, but also a means of communication.

One tug on the rope by the person on shore asks if the diver is OK. One tug back means the diver is all right, the members said. Two tugs from shore asks the diver to change direction, Cunningham said.

Lt. Kevin Schmitt heads up the team and instructed the new divers Wednesday, pointing out ways they can improve and ensuring they follow all safety precautions.

"When you are down there by yourself, there is no backup," said Schmitt. "Training and having the proper equipment makes you able to handle adverse conditions."

The training also included a mock witness who told the crew where the victim was last seen. Jim Daine, 40, of Riverside, took the information from the "witness" and told the divers where they needed to search.

"Training is key," he said. "Every time you go on a real call, you realize how important it is. You have to respond and react instinctively."

Daine said the most important thing to remember when adrenaline starts pumping at the scene of an emergency is to stay calm.

"When it's the real thing, you need to calm down, focus and get the job done," Daine said.